ItemArticle

Exploring cultural contexts of dog ownership Mental health and satisfaction with life among university students in India

Title
Exploring cultural contexts of dog ownership Mental health and satisfaction with life among university students in India
Creator
Narvekar, Hemangi Narayan; Patil, Jai
Description
The rising social value of pet ownership is infuenced by social media and evidence of positive efects on well-being, leading to a rise in dog ownership in younger generations. However, the mental health outcomes of this broader shif, especially in India, have not been studied. The study explored the association between dog owners relationships, mental health, and satisfaction with life among university students. A cross-sectional correlational design was used with 250 students aged 1825 who were either dog owners or without pets. The dog owners responded to the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale, apart from the Mental Health Continuum and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results showed a non-signifcant diference between mental health and satisfaction with life between dog owners and non-pet respondents. A positive relationship could not be established between dog ownership, mental health, and satisfaction with life. The dogs gender and breed infuenced the owners emotional bonding and interactions. Low perceived costs were related to a strong emotional bond with the dog, highlighting the complex nature of the pet ownership experience. Dog ownerships efect on students well-being is not universal and might depend on various individual, cultural, and contextual factors. Exploration of these human-animal interactions is warranted. 2025 John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Source
Interaction Studies;Volume;26;Issue;1;pp.24-47
Date
01-01-2025
Publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Subject
human-animal bond; human-animal interactions; pet ownership; satisfaction with life; well-being
Coverage
Narvekar H.N., CHRIST (Deemed to Be University), Bengaluru, India; Patil J., Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISSN: 15720373;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Narvekar, Hemangi Narayan; Patil, Jai, “Exploring cultural contexts of dog ownership Mental health and satisfaction with life among university students in India,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 18, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/22623.

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